More Than A Just Reason
by Chrissy Renee Pinto
Summary: what if charlie had a good reason for betraying SPD! What if she thought the supreme sacrifice was needed to make herself whole again!R/R


**Charlie and Morgana are my favorite villains in SPD and they are almost alike; smart, strong and in command. Hence this ficet is dedicated to them!**

My eyelashes flickered open to greet my surroundings instead I was met with darkness. Thick blackness that seemed to surround me and fog my senses. I felt a wave of panic wash over me, snapping me out of my dream like state. '_W__here am I_?' I wanted to question myself out loud. At least my voice would bring me some comfort but then my training kicked in and I clamped my lips shut at the last minute. '_No sense to alert anyone of my consciousness!'_

I gingerly got to my feet, careful not to touch or hold onto anything near me. For all I knew, I could be surrounded by an electric fence or on a platform suspended over a twenty foot drop. 

'_Now what do I do!'_

Suddenly a flash of red light pierced my vision, blinding me, it was hard and brutal. '_Was I in hell!'_

Finally my vision cleared and I beheld him in all his notorious glory. Grumm; the emperor of the troobian empire and the epitome of everything that I have been taught to hate!

I tilted my chin in defiance and stared into his red eyes through the bars with contempt. I was not afraid of him neither was I going to hide it!

"Hello Charlie!" He greeted gruffly, a languid stride to his walk. "Please excuse accommodations but they will improve once you agree to join me!" 

A mirthless chuckle escaped my lips as I leaned against the far wall. I idly ran my eyes across the small space that was my prison. "Cold, Dank and smelly!" I smirked throwing a look in his direction, dripping with sarcasm that complemented the snide words. "I take it you added your own personal touch to the whole ship!"

His laughter echoed in the room like a haunting lullaby told to ten-year olds. It was cruel, mocking and cut deep into me. He knew something I didn't; he had a card up his sleeve. And the way his red eyes gleamed, burning into mine, I knew it had to be an ace or a king. I forced myself to be calm and in control, as an officer of SPD there was no way I could lose any self control. With exaggerated casualness, he sauntered to the edge of my prison. Then suddenly leaped forward and gripped my face, digging his claws into my skin forcing me to stare into his soulless depths.

"I'm really surprised you don't want to join me! After all, wasn't earth the planet that destroyed your home!" He rasped scathingly, grazing my cheek with a hooked claw. 

The shock hit me like lightning; all I could register to do is gape at him dumbly.

'_How did he know?' _

"Your sister told me!" He answered in a cool off hand manner as if he was discussing the weather, turning his broad back on me. Showing how little he cared for the possible outburst the information would ignite.

'_My Sister!_' This time I couldn't hide my emotions anymore, _'Screw the SPD handbook!'_ I cursed violently at him, straining against the metal bars. I imagined a children's network beeping almost every other word of my speech to Grumm. 

"That is no way to talk to the man who is going to return to you,** your sister**!" He reprimanded disdainfully. "I would expect you to be a little grateful!" his words were like a hot knife against an open, festering wound.

_Like manners are important to him-who wears bones as a fashion statement!'_

Feelings whelmed my heart and quickly sunk to the pit of my stomach-hope, hurt and fear. Being twins I could sense that she had somehow survived since the destruction of my planet. It was one of the reasons I joined SPD- to find her. Moreover, I wanted to make sure the accident that occurred on my planet was never repeated again. Her loss had cut deeper than anyone could imagine; my adopted parents, my boyfriend or my team.

"She's gone! She died a long time ago!" I snarled, furious at him for the emotions he stirred inside me. Moreover, angry with myself allowing a trickle of hope to seep into her veins and feed my beating heart.

His gruff laughter seemed to grow more poisonous with each passing second. "On the contrary, Red ranger! She is here and well!" He snickered ,almost mockingly. My heart hammered against my chest, painful strikes that send shock waves throughout my body. "She's is gone! You hear me you sick bastard, she is gone!" I yelled as hard as I could, shaking the bars with all my might. '_Just come a little closer you sick thing and then-'_

Something which sounded like a sigh erupted from his hideous lips, "I thought I made myself perfectly clear before! She is alive, Charlene or is it firecracker as your mother used to call you!" He asked indifferently. I griped the bars so hard that my knuckles turned white. "Where is she?" I finally conceded in a small voice, swallowing my anger. He sneered at me with delight twinkling in his bug eyes. "MORGANA!"

A young woman walked intrepidly into the room dressed in a black dress with purple trimmings. Her hair was longer than I remembered, reaching past her shoulders and she was almost as tall as me.

' "_I wish I had long hair like mommy! Then maybe I could be like Repunzelle and have a handsome prince come to save me!" She glanced at me with green eyes shinning with innocence. I just snorted at her dream, "I'm never going to need a prince to save me! I'm going to save a prince and then he will so grateful that he will want to marry me-" _

"_What if he doesn't?" She asked with impish curiosity. "I will make him! "I responded with m__y stubbornly streak. We collapsed into giggles.'_

"Hello, Charlene! Nice to see you again!" She deadpanned an expressionless mask on her face."Morgana !" I whispered, was it some kind of trick, A part of me hoped it was!"It's not possible!" I cried helplessly, my breath hitched in my throat.

. "oh, Charlie! of course it is!" Grumm piped up, his arrogance accentuated his swagger.

"You see while you were helping the planet that destroyed your home, Morgana was suffering in a private br-"

"Don't !" She cut him off brusquely, her face hardened until her eyes blazed like coals. Grumm showed about as much expression as his skeleton face could allow but I sensed he wasn't used to being ordered like that. He was more comfortable with her playing the docile and ever faithful follower. My thoughts began contemplating the role she played in his web of treachery ! How often did she fight to be more than she was-like I had to in my rise as red ranger! Was a part of me engraved in her as I felt her growing up ! Even as we stood on either sides separated by a deep crevice, did she feel the pull of the bond of sister hood as strong as I did! 

" and it was I who saved her!" He announced smugly, his crowing ended.

At these words, Morgana's body stiffened and her frosty look intensified. I turned away; I couldn't bear to look into her eyes-my sister's eyes-that were devoid of the warmth and love that I fondly remembered.

"Can't bear to look at me, Sister!" The venomous spite in her voice effected me more than I showed. it was like evey fibre of my being was hurting from having red hot lava poured into them.

I sank to a semi recumbent position and watched her with increasing pangs of guilt and cold fear.

"How did you-"

"Survive!" She screeched, a thin sheen covered her eye causing them to glitter in the dim light.

I inwardly winced, '_She couldn't be my Morgana –but-I had to be sure!'_"That mark on your cheek!" I barked, regaining my composure with renewed resolve, "What does it mean?"

She sneered at me, her expression openly hostile "It doesn't stand for anything! It's the family crest that has been passed on for generations. It is the mark that appears on the cheek of the princesses of the great volcanic planet that has been around since the beginning of time until it was destroyed by the earthlings." 

Sparks cackled in her eyes. 'A typical character of royalty of Nasdina.' the casual thought passed my mind before I could stop it.

"I see you managed to get yours off!" She added viciously, her lips curved upwards in a cruel smirk.

I felt cold shivers run down my spine. "This is twisted Grumm even for you!" I muttered forebodingly, turning my attention and anger to a more deserving source. Grumm just stood in the corner in a complacent posture, while a triumphant smile danced across his face.

It was all I could say to keep down the sob that threatened to burst forth. He chuckled from deep in his throat, it sounded like he was gurgling. "If you still believe it is some kind of trick, Charlene! Why don't you ask her a question only she would know?" He taunted, a scornful grin held his scaly mouth. A magnetic urge to bash his head against the iron bars that held me captive and separated me from my teammates, seized me so I trembled slightly.

'_I hope they're okay!' _I had almost forgotten about my friends which was a first for me! I couldn't let Grumm's mind games affect me any more!

"The question, Charlie!" She snapped, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

I raked my brain for a question to ask my formerly dead sister and probably the only other survivor of the massacre-I hoped. Hardly anybody of our species had the capacity to forgive and forget-except maybe my mother. 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, held it before letting it loose between my lips. I stared into her eyes that were so detached and merciless; they sent trembles down my spine. I asked her evenly, "How were we born ?" It was a trick question, if she got it right-a part of me prayed she didn't if only for my sanity.

A sinister smile marred her pretty features for moment, "Everybody knows that the people of Nasdina are born form the embers of the Cebse volcano at the center of the planet-"

I felt relief overwhelm me and every muscle of my body released the tension they have been holding. '_This wasn't her-this wasn't my sister!'_

I was so happy at the knowledge that my sister wasn't in the clutches of an evil monster, the strong urge to kissGrumm seized me. I was about to inform them-no-rub my revelation into their faces. Then her expression changed into almost sad pity –what the-I had a bad feeling abut this! 

"That is what the rest of the world knows about the birth of our people but Charlie-you and me were born the human way.." She leaned close to the bars so I could see into her emotionless depths that were an Eden green flecked with black and gold like- 

"Our parents had sex!" She whispered dryly, as dry as the scratch of dead leaves in autumn.

Our mother.

I could barely contain the convulsions of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me, leaving me buzzing and aching. I slipped to my knees and hold her gaze, helplessly through the bars that separates us but in reality I know there is a lot more that divides us. 

"Come Morgana ! we have to prepare for the destruction of earth!" Grumm ordered casually, his eyes traveled from her to me. '_He must have gotten his sweet revenge! Pitiful creature!_' I thought scornfully, ignoring the bloodlust that sends tingles throughout my body.

Wordlessly she followed him without a backward glance or another spoken word, out of the chamber leaving my ambiguous thoughts of hatred, anger but most of all guilt as my tormentors. I had imagined our meeting twenty times and over but this scenario was the farthest from my mind. Everything was so twisted and bent out of shape, she was so contradictory to everything I had imagined or hoped she would turn out to be.

My eyes shut tightly as I chocked back cold tears. In my entire life, I had never been crushed by the combined weight of loneliness and fear than at this moment.

"She will join us soon enough!" Grumm chuckled, "And then earth will be mine!" Morgana nodded, hearing the words but barely attending to them. Unwanted thoughts plagued her mind, assaulted her senses and threatened to overpower her idea of control. Images she had tried to rid herself of by becoming Mora. "Morgana, get the Krybots ready for battle!" She nodded instinctively and walked the halls to the required destination. She was reminded why she enjoyed it so much, it was because the dark, hallowed halls of Grumm's spaceship reminded her of exploring the inner caves of Nasdina-with Charlie. But as far as she could remember the caves weren't as ominous. Suddenly, She found herself in front of the very same room she had just left; her memories had bought her here. Standing rooted to the spot, She contemplated how to proceed. The thought that she would one day have to confront her past had never invaded her mind; she had her future with Grumm to look forward too.

Her feet moved forward by two steps giving the silent command for the door to open, revealing her sister. The captured power ranger was huddled in the dreariest corner, head buried in her arms. Morgana felt a stab of regret at her sister's position but then crueler thoughts prevailed. '_She deserves some of the suffering that was unjustly bestowed on me -it was because of her that a greater part of my life was a living hell! Everything I endured is all because of her-because of her_!' She wanted the fire of her anger and torment to engulf her so she could be inspired to extract revenge. However,the the fire melted to the pit of her stomach, leaving Morgana with emptiness that was so hollow she could hear her own beating heart. 

"Charlene!" She whispered softly. Her head shot up, eyes that were blood shot and filled with ambiguous emotions thatfroze her in her place. Morgana took a wary step into the chamber, her eyes never leaving Charlie's face. They held each others look, each playing on the other's time. "Do you blame me?" Charlie asked, disturbing the uneasy quiet that had settled between them. If she hadn't seen her lips move, Morgana doubted she would have heard the question. 

'_Do I blame her!-Yes I do_!' but gazing into the agonized eyes of her sister, Morgana couldn't utter the words. 

"Are you cold!" She inquired as an after thought.Charlie'sbrow furrowed in confusion, judging the characteristics of the question before she nodded in affirmative. Morgana made haste to her bedroom and grabbed a few blankets from her cupboard. Then she hurried back to the prisoner room until a thought crossed her mind, '_Why am I running! It is not like she has anywhere to go_!'

An easy smile slipped across her lips, one that was an almost a replica of a young girl that used to play with her sister during warm summer days.

' "_T__ell me, Charlene!" She pleaded, milking her green puppy dog eyes for all they were worth. "No! Wait till mother arrives! Then you will get your surprise!" her sister chided her gently. She pouted cutely but then it collapsed in a smile as their mother came into view._

"_Hello my amusements! I missed you so much!" They were enveloped them into a hug and soon the young girls found themselves surrounded by the aroma of her scent; lavender mixed with honey and a trace of apricot._

"_Morgana!" She smiled affectionately at the youngest, and began threading her fingers through her hair._

"_Morgana!" __She called lovingly, her voice suddenly hollow and more urgent._

"MORGANA!"

The name echoed in the congested chamber, snapping her out of her dream like state.She blinked once, twice then stared at the source with a forlorn face, "I'm sorry!" 

**Like or hate it! let me know cause I have nothing better to do these holidays but unleash my imagination.**


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